Solitude

Solitude 

Other Readings: Belden Lane/Backpacking With the Saints 

October 19, 2015

In chapter six of Backpacking With the Saints, Belden Lane explores the four gifts of solitude. As humans, we fear being singled out from the comfort and security of the crowd. We are apprehensive about holding an opinion alone and thus become absorbed into the herd of opinions that surround us. The first gift of solitude is that it separates the individual from the crowd. Approval does not govern your thoughts and actions in the wilderness. We find no need to perform in wild places. It is only when you are alone that you can resist the need to be defined by external things. In a wild setting the pilgrim can focus on nurturing his true self. Solitude teaches us that we are not the creators of our true selves, rather we discover our true self. In other words, our identity is already in us not something we have to construct ourselves. Only when everything external is stripped away and we stand before God naked and vulnerable can we know that our true identity and worth is not dictated by our usefulness in the world. Solitude grants access to the mystery at the core of our being. As Augustine profoundly said, “God is more intimate to me than I am to myself.” Throughout history, saints, mystics, and prophets have marveled with wonder in this mystery. We cannot distinguish clearly where we end and God begins. The final gift of solitude is that it connects us to the community of creation. Without the action of pulling oneself back into solitude we cannot fully appreciate the world we inhabit. What is necessary for a healthy community is individuals who collectively understand the importance of solitude. Without time alone we have no depth to offer a group. Solitude always drives us back into community with a new passion, vision, and affection. It is in that alone moment of complete surrender that we realize that everything belongs in this world.